Chafton's Journey: May 2023

Memorial Day Weekend at Windrock, Tennessee

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Loaded and ready to head out to the mountains of Eastern Tennessee.

Windrock is always fun but can be very challenging. Rumor has it that the flooding storms from last year has made some trails very difficult.

Rain is in the forecast for Sunday but we will ride regardless.

A bit hazy but still an awesome view from the trail up the mountain.

Hoping to get three days of riding in with Mama and Annie.

Jimmy and Robin are also headed this way.

Looks like some left over mud holes. It hasn't rained here in over a week.

Windrock has it all but is famous for its rocks. As you will see later.

Some Rocks are absolutely Beautiful.......as seen here.

And some Rocks are absolutely Stunning.........like these.

Just some of the beautiful rock bluffs along the trail.

And some Rocks are just out there to be a Real Challenge.......

Well, wouldn't you know it.....not two hours into our first day I manage to turn this Kawasaki KRX over on its side,

This is my view as I try to figure out how to get out of this mess. That giant boulder is wanting to get in the buggy with me.

My lovely partner is hanging on for dear life by her 6 point harness. She is not a happy cruiser right now.

I don't do many selfies but I took this one while waiting for Jimmy to position his RZR for the recovery process.

We are turned over onto the giant boulder on a very steep downhill wash out.

As you see we got Annie out first, now to try to get out thru the half blocked side window to help get Christine out.

As noted....we are "Between a Rock and a Hard Spot"...

At this point Jimmy had rushed down the hill to see if he could just push us back over onto our wheels. Well, not hardly.

Although you can't tell it ....but this rut is down hill and off camber toward the boulder.

I thought I could make it but shit happens.

Like I said.....Windrock is noted for its Rocks.

With Annie out and safe the next task was to get myself out thru this tiny opening. But the window side is so close to the ground and the boulder blocking half of it.......

With some help from Jimmy I managed to get free from this situation so I could help with the recovery.

However, Christine is hanging from her harness on the other side and about 2 seconds from a full blown panic.

You thought I was kidding....she is hanging (thank goodness not upside down) from her harnesses.

Now the real tough job....how do we get her out of those belts and through that tiny opening without hurting her. Climbing out the other side on top of the buggy is not an option.

It is a freefall from the other side into a deep, slick gully sloping downhill. That would be a broken bone or two for sure.

She is now One Second from Panic Mode.

Will we ever get her back in a Side X Side again? Well, let's get her out of this one first.....

She said she was never afraid of dying, just afraid of being injured getting out.

Note the Boulder blocking the window.Thanks to Robin with her phone we have pictures to remember this episode of our "Ride in the Mountains"...

Well, she made it out. But sat there for several minutes getting her composure back while Jimmy and I had winched the KRX back up the steep part of the hill to a flat spot.

We later found a by-pass around this wash-out.

Needless to say, she fired me from my Leader Position and told Jimmy to take the quickest way back to camp.

She is doing fine, just sore.

Robin snapped this shot of Jimmy hooking the winch to the KRX. But it wasn't that easy. It would not pull it up that steep incline because at this point the KRX would not start.

We then hooked my front winch at 90 degrees to a tree and used a snatch block attached to another tree at an angle that would pull me off the boulder and uphill at the same time without damaging the buggy, by then the KRX started and we had a successful recovery.